Toothpick holders



' April 28, 1959 K. H. SEVERSQN TOOTHPICK HOLDERS Filed July 3. 1958INVENTOR. KERIYHT u. sevzason United States Patent TOOTHPICK HOLDERSKermit H. Severson, Wayzata, Minn. Application July 3, 1958, Serial No.746,491

3 Claims. (Cl. 206-37) This invention relates to containers which areadapted to be carried upon the person and has particular reference to atoothpick or the like holder.

This toothpick holder is an improvement of the toothpick holder in thepatent application Serial No. 709,903 filed January 20, 1958.

It is an object of this invention to provide in a toothpick holder acasing having a plurality of spaced apart chambers.

It is another object of this invention to provide in a toothpick holdera closure means which is securely held in its adjusted positions.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a toothpickholder which houses each toothpick in a separate chamber and whichprovides means so that the contents of the chambers can be viewedwithout opening the chambers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thedetailed description, taken in connection with the annexed drawing inwhich:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the holder, parts broken away,disclosing the closure for the holder in open position.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the holder, parts broken away,disclosing the closure for the holder in closed position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the closure means for the holder.

Referring in detail to the drawing is a rectangular holder or casing 10which is relatively thin. The holder 10 is made of a transparent plasticmaterial. Six spaced elongated chambers 12 are formed in the casing 10by means of chamber dividers 13 and each chamber 12 is provided with anopening 14 in the top of the casing 10. Any even number of chambers maybe formed in the casing 10.

An arcuate track 16 is formed across the top of the casing 10. The track16 is open at its top except for a small cover portion 18 at each end ofthe track 16. A very thin and resilient elongated plastic rectangularslide or valve 20 which is normally flat, is slidably mounted in thetrack 16. The inherent tendency of the slide 20 to straighten out to itsnormal fiat position will tend to cause the slide 20 to engage infrictional contact in the arcuate track 16 thereby aiding the slide 20to be retained in its adjusted positions in the track 16.

The slide 20 is provided with a nib or teat 22 formed on the bottom ofthe slide 20 intermediate its ends. A knob 24 is formed on the top ofthe slide 20 intermediate the ends thereof. The slide 20 is providedwith a plurality of spaced apertures 21. The track 16 is slightly largerin size than the slide 20 so that the slide 20 can be moved easily inthe track 16. When the slide 20 is moved in track 16 so that the nib 22is on the top of one of the channel dividers 13 of the casing 10 formedbetween the chambers 12, the apertures 21 of the valve 20 are inalignment with the openings 14 of the chambers 12, see Figure 1 of thedrawing. When the slide 20 is moved in the track 16 so that the nib 22is in one of the openings 14 of the one of the chambers 12, the slide 20closes the chambers 12. The nib 22 securely holds the valve 20 in itsadjusted positions in the track 16.

Since the casing 10 is made of a transparent plastic material, it ispossible to see if there are toothpicks in the chambers 12.

Each chamber 12 is of a size to hold a single toothpick. Where a singletoothpick is housed in a chamber 12 of a holder 10, it is easy to removea toothpick without touching another toothpick. The holder 10 provides asanitary device for holding toothpicks.

The present holder is adapted to be either carried in a pocket of a suitor in a purse.

Certain variations from the precise form illustrated will suggestthemselves to anyone skilled in the art. It is not, therefore, intendedto limit this invention to the precise disclosure, but only as set forthin the subjoined claims which are to be broadly construed.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described comprising a container havinga top, a plurality of longitudinal spaced chambers in the container,each of the chambers provided with an outlet in the top of thecontainer, an arcuate track formed in the top of the container, a verythin and resilient elongated rectangular slide normally flat over itsfull length and breadth mounted for sliding movement in the track, nibmeans formed on the bottom of the slide, the slide being provided with aplurality of spaced apertures, the slide being movable in the track forregistering the apertures in the slide with the outlets of the spacedchambers, the nib means positioned on the bottom of the slide being inengagement with one of the spaced chamber dividers at the top of thecontainer, and the slide being held in engagement with the top of thearcuate track against its inherent tendency to flatten out when theapertures of the slide register with the outlets of the chambers, theslide being movable in the arcuate track for closing the outlets of thechambers and the nib means on the slide being in engagement with one ofthe outlets of one of the said chambers in the container, when the slidecloses, the outlets of the chambers, thereby securely holding the slidein said closed position.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the con tainer isrectangular in shape and is relatively thin in thickness.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the container is formed of atransparent plastic material.

No references cited.

